Never Mine to Lose
by Catherinelol01
Summary: Some how, Eponine survives the barricades. Marius and Cosette's wedding is coming near, but what will Eponine do. Will she be able to make it to the wedding? Or will time finally take its toll on her?
1. Chapter 1

**Here is a new story based on after the barricade and Eponine somehow survives. Please leave a review and check out my other Les Miserable story. I just got the idea to write this since I was bought the new Les Mis movie. **

**Please leave a review and I hope you all like it. I will try to make the chapters longer in this story, but I give no promises. Really hope you like it and please follow and leave a review.**

**All credits go to Victor Hugo.**

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**Eponine**

As I walked the streets of Paris, memories flooded my head. Memories of my parents, Gavroche, but especially about the barricade and Marius. Just thinking about him would make my heart ache in pain. A pain saying that he was never mine, and never will be.

My hand drifted to the palm of my right hand, graving over the scar that a bullet that would have killed Marius had hit. I was still surprised that I had survived. But I wasn't so sure that it was a good miracle. If it had been, Marius would have actually cared for me and my brother would still be alive along with our other friends, but I lived in the reality, not in a fantasy.

I dropped my hand to my side, where I felt a small bump. It was something that assured me that dreams never come true. It was a letter to Marius and Cosette's wedding.

Shortly after I had somehow survived that barricade, Marius had found out and treated me as he had before. He had asked how I had survived, but I didn't even clearly remember. All I know was that when he had thought of me dead, I had only passed out. When I awoke, I had been in a clinic and had been restored to health. The only thing they hadn't restored was my heart.

In another world, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have been on the verge of death and neither would have Marius. All I want was for him to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. I wouldn't be able to bear all the sadness and hurt that I knew would fill my heart.

The invitation was very fancy since the wedding was going to be filled with some of the richest people of this city. Their names were written in a perfect transcript.

Even if I did go to the wedding, I wouldn't even have anyone to talk to, but I did have a gift incase. The gift was simple yet elegant.**(What it is will come up later in the story)**

I continued walking the streets of Paris, thinking about the man I still loved, and always will.

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At the end of the day, I ended up sleeping on the sides of the street. Since my parents had vanished, so did my home, not that you could call it a home. The streets of Paris was now my home. There was nothing in this world that cared for me. Some days I wished that I had died at the barricades. No, I wished that I no longer lived in existence everyday.

The next morning, something felt different. Around me, the streets were completely empty. That was weird. And then it suddenly hit me. In a couple of days was the great wedding.

Tears pricked at my eyes. I still wasn't ready for him to leave me, even if he was never mine to loose (from the movie).

Everyone was probably planning for the wedding in to rich side of town. All the poor people were probably planning of a way to get into the wedding.

There were a few people on the streets, wandering around. All of them very poor. There was one woman crawling on her hands and knees. I felt sympathy toward her because at one point in time, that had been me.

At times when I didn't bring enough money home to my father, he would beat me like I was only a piece of trash. That was what I was to him, a piece of trash that had to earn money or there would be very hard circumstances.

I stood up and brushed off the dirt on my dress. Not that it made a difference. I was covered in dirt and rum from head to toe. That was probably a reason that Monsieur Marius never saw anything in me.

It was in the winter season so a white flat sheet of snow littered the streets of Paris. It was such a beautiful sight, but the streets of dirt and of the poor ruined the scene. The wedding being held with snow might have seemed like the perfect scene, but to me, it only made things worse.

That sparked something in my head that I never thought I would have made. I was going to the wedding.

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**I hope you liked this new story. This story might not have as many chapters, but the chapters might be longer.**

**Please leave a review and please read my other stories. Go to my bio and answer my poll.**

**All credit goes to Victor Hugo.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter 2 of this new story for you guys.**

**Please leave a review. **

**And although I know my story is just new, could you all at least leave a review. The reviews from my other stories are what keep me writing and what give inspiration, so please review.**

**All rights go to Victor Hugo.**

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_Some how, Eponine survives the barricades. Marius and Cosette's wedding is coming near, but what will Eponine do. Will she be able to make it to the wedding? Or will time finally take its toll on her?_

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**Chapter 2**

**Eponine**

I continued walking the streets of Paris, begging any rich person for money.

I saw a man who seemed to be rich enough to own the entire city. As I walked toward him, I hunched my shoulders and clung to my shawl tighter. There was a young man behind him.

The boy seemed around my age. He had dark hair that wasn't short nor long with piercing blue eyes. Handsome. That what he was. The boy had a strong build, but not too strong. His face had strong features, but in his eyes, I saw warmth and calmness. He was different from the others. I could tell that just by looking at his face. **(Remember him. He's going to come up in the story again)**

The older man was the complete opposite. While he may have just seemed to be in his 40s, his face begged it differ. His face was covered in wrinkles like an old man. Even his hair was grey. The only thing that would make it seem that he was younger were his eyes. They were the same as the boy walking behind him.

"Excuse me Monsieur, but would you be able to spare a couple of francs. It's just that I haven't eaten in over a week, and I'm really starving." I said

It was true. I hadn't eaten in over a week and I was really starving. The only thing keeping me alive is my pride and dignity.

"Get off you menace. You're all the same. Beggars, begging for something they will never get in their entire lives. Now get away from me you whore and stay away." he spat at me.

I had gotten many reactions, but this one was a first. I backed away, giving the two men their space. I turned my back to them, walking away and back into a dark corner of the street.

What was I going to do now? I knew that if I didn't get some food in me, I would just rot away, like everyone else.

I saw a shadow walking toward. I hid myself deeper into the corner. I hugged my knees to my chest, bracing myself for whatever was out there. Whomever this might be, I wasn't in the mood and I definitely didn't have the strength.

They stopped a one yard away from me. A clanging sound was made followed by what seemed to be something dropping. I peaked a look through my knees to see eight francs on the floor. Were they for me?

The person who had dropped them stepped forward where there was a small gleam of light. It was the boy from earlier.

He crouched down to level my crouching body. First, I thought he was going to take the money back, but he didn't.

He placed his right hand on my left knee, and with his other hand, picked up the coins on the floor. He extended the hand full of money toward me.

I looked up into his blue eyes, and I saw that he was really sincere. I held out my hand and me dropped the money into the palm of my hand. I was confused. Why was this man helping me?

He removed his hand from my knee and extended it out towards me. I reached through my legs and shook it. As I did, he introduced himself.

"My name's Edward** (Has nothing to do with Twilight, it's just a name)**. And yours?" he asked kindly, like a gentleman.

"Eponine," I squeaked out. "And thank you, for the money." I added

"It was nothing. I felt very sorry for you after what my grandpa had told you. I apologize for him since I know he will never do it himself. And please just know that I didn't do it in pity for you. You did me a favor by making him forget my school issues. Thank you for that." he said sincerely

Edward was the first who didn't pity me. He was also the first who ever thanked me and ment it. Edward just smiled, his eyes twinkling in the little light.

Edward stood up and made a little bow in my direction. He smiled and waved one last time and turned around on his heel. He turned his head around and smiled one more time with me responding to the gesture.

I owed this man for saving my life. I wondered if I'll ever see him again. That night, I fell asleep with Edward in my mind instead of Marius.

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**I hope you liked this chapter. Hopefully I get more followers and reviews so that I get inspired. **

**Please review and thanks for reading it.**

**~Catherine**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews you all left me.**

**theartofwords12- Don't worry, it is still a MariusXEponine fanfic, but Edward will be important, just not in the way you think it is.**

**PrettyChelsea- Edward will be an important part of the story. Yes I agree, he is very interesting. Now that you say it, I wonder _HOW WILL_ Eponine get a dress. I'll have to think about that.**

**Guest- Thank you, your first review made my day! It will still be a MariusXEponine fanfic, don't worry.**

**Sorry to keep you all waiting for so long, and here is the 3rd chapter. I hope you all like it. Since school is over for us, I will be able to update more until July comes along with all my camps. I will try very hard to update each week. Really sorry for the month long wait.**

**All rights go to Victor Hugo.**

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**Eponine**

When I woke up the next morning, my stomach grumbled, wishing to be fed. I had gotten used to being starved all the time, but with some of the extra money that I had, I could buy something that would really full me up. But I didn't. Something that I had learned growing up poor was that every single coin counts. It could be the difference between life and death for us people who grew up the way we did.

I started my now daily routine. Each morning, I would walk around the streets of Paris hoping to find some edible food. It didn't have to taste good, as long as it was food. After that, I would start begging people for any spare money. On lucky days, I would at least get two or three francs. I was just usually given that much just so I would stop begging them. On bad days, I never got a single coin and I would go to sleep on the side of the road empty-handed and hungry.

Thanks to Edward, I had higher spirits which resolved to gaining a couple more francs. Edward was still in my mind. Could there really be someone so kind, selfless, and giving? I guess there could since I have met two people like that. Edward and Marius. Except one of those men were really oblivious. I guess you can guess who he is.

By noon, I had gained three francs. I haven't got this much money in one week since, well ever.

Everyday each noon at exactly 12:30pm, Marius would meet up with me in the old café. We would reminisce and talk about good times, and I rarely had any of those. Afterwards, we would sometimes go to our old friend's graves and just stand there, listening.

Now, it was 12:25pm and Marius could be here any minute. Another ten minutes passes and he still wasn't here. How could he have forgotten? We did this everyday, and on the best of days, he still manages to break my heart.

After waiting a little longer, I lost hope and just left. As I left, I ran into someone with a large frame and from the looks of it, tall. I looked up to see it was Edward. I felt my face flush.

I took a step back and greeted him, "Good afternoon Monsieur Edward. What am I to make of your acquaintance?" Eponine asked in the most formal way that she can.

"Please Eponine, no need to be so formal. Please, you may call me by Edward. And to answer your question, I was just taking a stroll until I came upon this old café. I was just curious." He said with that soft soothing voice of his.

"Well, Edward, this old café used to be the meeting place of my past friends for a big cause."

"Oh really, what kind of cause?" Edward asked, interested.

"Oh, their story is far too long for me to tell you with the time we have."

"I think I have a little time to spare. Plus, maybe your friends' cause could help me with a report I have. You never know." he said with a smile.

We took a seat in one of the tables inside the café, Edward pulling the chair out for me like a true gentleman. How fine did he look the afternoon.

So I told him the story of the barricade, and how it was planned. How everyone had such high hopes for it, especially Enjolras. I described everyone and their ways. The way Enjolras was always so focused and stuck into his work. Joly and his medical plans later in life. How Grantaire was always drunk in the meetings. I told Edward each and everyone's story.

I didn't know what was making me so open with him. Him, a stranger to my life, but had also saved it. I guessed that I just felt safe around him, unlike the way I did to my parents. Edward was the light that could make things alright. He could calm you with his meer presence. Where could a man like this have been made?

These were the exact same thoughts I had made when I had first met Marius. I think everyone saw how that had turned out. I finally told Edward about Marius. How he had made me send letters back in forth between him and his lover.

From the way Edward was looking at me, I could guess he knew about how I felt, being a mail carrier. He listened to everything I said, like he had actually been there himself. I that he really understood everything considering that he was looking at me intently.

I reached the part of when I had blocked the gunshot from hitting Marius, and stopped talking. I was just staring at my hands clasped together, feeling the scar left behind by the rifle on my right hand. Edward stared at me with a worried expression.

"Eponine, what's wrong?"

"Uh...it's this part of the story that's coming up. I'm not sure if I will be able to say it or not."

"That's alright of you don't want to say it. I'm alright with that."

"No, I want to tell you. I just don't know if I will be able to."

"Well, at least try."

I nodded and continued the story.

"When a rifle was pointed at Marius, I dove to block it. My hand went around it and took the shot instead of Marius. He didn't know it was me until he found me on the bottom of the barricade bleeding to my death. The gunshot had passed through my hand and through me. I gave him the letter which I had kept from him. When he had thought of me dead, someone had carried me off to an infirmary. There, I was saved from death and found out later that my friends were dead. All except one. Marius had lived and now he has a beautiful fiancé and is getting married soon. My little brother Gavroche had been at the barricades the day of the revolution and I grieved for him dearly. It took a while for me to be able to stand on my feet again.

Every Saturday, I would visit the graves of my friends. Ever since then, I have roamed the streets of Paris." I said

I didn't tell him about the part of me still grieving, but not just for my lost brother. Because of Marius. That man was never going to be taken away from my head filled with fantasies that will never come true.

He saw me still clutching my right hand hard. Slowly, he took my hands and eased them so that the scar was facing up. He put a finger on it and followed its path. I felt myself go stiff. Finally, he set my left hand down and took my right in his grasp.

I remained silent, watching for Edward's reaction. When I had told the story, it felt like I had told the story to myself, not to him. It was reminding and showing me of the life I had now.

Edward's expression was hard to read, for it cannot be read.

"That was...magnificent. I mean, I really feel sorry for your loss of your friends and brother, but that was something different. The idea of freedom from kings and queens, it's interesting. Definitely something different. It's exactly what I need for my report. I couldn't thank you enough for sharing your story." Edward said with interest and joy in his voice.

I just nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Let's call it my way of repaying you for the other day. Thanks you again for that again."

He just waved his hand it of, like it was nothing.

We both got up and left toward the streets of Paris, making casual talk now. How awkward it must have to other people seeing us. A wealthy gentleman like Edward talking to a small peasant like me. For the second time since I had met him, Edward had taken my mind off Marius and all the bad that had happened to me.

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**Really sorry for the month long wait. This chapter was longer than others to make up for it. Still very sorry. I hoped you liked it and give me your thoughts about it. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is the 4th chapter. I have what I want to happen planned out for this story but it won't take that long to complete. If you want me to make the story longer then it really is supposed to be, then leave a review or PM me. If you don't, then this story will only be to be about 10 chapter or less.**

**I loved the reviews you left me. It made me want to work on this story more. I'm very thankful. I have tried using bigger words in my stories. Am I doing good so far?**

**All right, enough of be blabbing and here is the 4th chapter for you guys.**

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**Eponine**

Edward and I walked for what seemed hours, until the sunset was coming close. How beautiful it truly was. In Paris, with a magnificent sunset. I knew that I was really taking up a lot of Edward's time, but he didn't seem to care. When I had confronted him about it, he just waved his hand off.

"It's alright Eponine. I really don't mind. Plus, you're keeping from the wrath of my father and this whole 'school' and 'marriage' thing." He said, putting air quotes around 'school', and 'marriage'.

What was this marriage thing?

"What do you mean, marriage thing?" I asked, letting my curiosity get a hold of me.

"Well, my father owns this big investment and it's passed down from each generation to the other. My father thinks it to be right for me to get married before I own his investment, because that's what he did." Edward said

That was one benefit of being poor. We didn't have our lives planned ahead of us. No one was there to make sure we got married or had a good life. I felt pity for Edward, but I didn't show it.

"Well, have you chosen a bride yet?"

"Nope, I'm afraid not. I don't have the liberty of choosing by bride, my parents do. They believe that their decisions are what are best for me."

"And are you alright with that, for them to help plan out your life?" I asked, still curious of the rich life that didn't seem so rich now.

"I'm not fairly sure really. I mean...I welcome them helping, but it just seems like they're controlling my life. You must think of me terribly since I'm talking of my parents like this." He said giving me a shy look.

"No, I get it. You're glad that your parents want to help, but you don't want them to control your life."

"Yeah, exactly like that." Edward said, facing me now.

We were still just walking around, acting like there was no care in the world. Our walking came to a halt when the sunset showed at its best view. The flaming colors changing as it when up into the sky. They were endless, and free.

We stood there, looking at the majestic sunset, letting our surroundings fade where it only left me, Edward, and the sunset.

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Edward and I bid our farewells with hopes of seeing each other again on another day.

"Farewell Eponine. I do hope to see you again. You have been a great pleasure to be around. And thank you for getting me out of me daily conversations with my father. Goodbye and may we see each other again another day." Edward said with one last smile and a wave of his hand.

That had been fun. It was just so easy to talk to him. Edward always seemed to have this calming aura that made you have to like him. He was a very kind man.

Then it occurred to me that I had never found out of his last name. Before Edward can leave out of earshot, I yelled," I never did catch your last name monsieur."

He smiled another one of his cheerful smiles and said,"Pontmercy. My full name is Edward Jean Pontmercy."**(I couldn't think of a good middle name that came from this story's time period)**

He turned and left out of sight before I can say more.

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**Sorry if this was a little corny. I really wanted to make this chapter longer, but I just couldn't**

**Please leave me a review or PM me if you have and offers of help or something like that.**

**I hoped you liked it and 5 more review for the next chapter? I don't know. I really don't care as long as someone leaves a review.**

**I do not own Les Miserable.**

**-Catherine**


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